RARE BUDDHIST MANUSCRIPT

PRESERVATION PROJECT-2009

(A JOINT VENTURE WITH UNIVERSITY OF WEST)

By:

Min Bahadur Shakya

Director-

Nagarjuna Institute

INTRODUCTION NAGARJUNA Institute has initiated the digitizing the Rare

Buddhist Manuscript for Preservation purpose through scanning the manuscripts and preserved in CDROM or DVDs.

So far, Nepal Archive has preserved their collections through microfilming the Mss. through Nepal German Manuscript Preservation Project.

However, these manuscripts have become inaccessible or very difficult for the general scholars and practitioners getting the manuscripts.

It is not easy for scholars around the world to come to Kathmandu and get a microfilm copy of desired Manuscripts.

CONTD... Now in the twenty first century, these microfilms

have been out of date. It is now time for viewing these manuscripts online through internet and with minimum costs for purchasing CDROM or DVDs to facilitate the researchers.

So far, Nagarjuna Institute has already input 65 sutras, 95 shastra texts and 108 stotras put it on line in the web: www.uwest.edu/sanskritcanon

The scholars are expecting original Sanskrit manuscripts for authenticity of the texts and textual studies.

CONTD. In Kathmandu valley, there are several Buddhist

Manuscripts in the private collections, which have not yet digitized and microfilmed.

If these Manuscripts could be scanned and put online, it would be an enormous benefit for the readers.

A large number of texts have still not been published in any form

Before modern communications and digital photography, access to manuscripts was limited

It is now possible to input directly from digital scans of manuscripts

SOURCES

The following are the possible sources for scanning the Mss., which were hitherto not published or digitized. 

1. The Aksayasvara Mahavihara library collections* -286 titles ------Complete

2. Late Pandit Ashakaji Vajracharya’s private collections------------- In progress

3. Pandit Ratnakaji Vajracharya’s private collections- ---------in progress

4. Mr. Pusparaj Vajracharya’s private collections ------------- in progress

5. Nagarjuna Institute Library collections ---------------------------------Complete6. Dipak Vajracharya's collection-------------------------------------------in progress7. Keshar Library collections8. National Library collections9. Tribhuvan University library collections10. Svayambhu International Library collection

CONTENTS OF THE MANUSCRIPTS

1. Buddhist Sutras in Sanskrit

2. Avadana

3.Dharanis

4. Strotras

5. Ritual texts or Pujavidhi

6. Sadhana

7. Carya songs or Gita

8. Mahatmya or Stories

9. Jatakas

10. Buddhist Tantras and its commentaries

CENSUS OF MANUSCRIPTS A census of manuscripts is needed to determine

the most important unpublished texts, and the most reliable manuscripts.

There are several catalogues of Manuscripts in Nepal and abroad. More than twenty catalogues have been already published so far.

We have published a bibliography of catalogues through a team of research scholars.

Although it is not a complete catalogue but it helps significantly getting a census of manuscripts.

DIPLOMATIC EDITION Texts input from manuscripts will be diplomatic transcriptions,

not editions Transcriptions provide useful data for future editions, and

accurately reflect manuscript traditions We have already produced diplomatic editions of following texts:

1. Amoghpasa hrdaya sutra

2. Pancaraksa sutra which includes Mahapratisara sutra Mahasitavati Mahamantranusarini Mahamayuri sutra Mahasahasra Pramardana sutra

3. Advayasatika Prajnaparamita sutra

4. Arya Anityata sutra

5. Svayambhu Purana-with 1750 verses

CONTRACT AGREEMENT This Agreement is made between Nagarjuna

Institute, Min Bahadur Shakya, at Nagarjuna Institute, P.O.Box 100, Chakupat-10, Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Nepal and

The University of the West with Dr. Allen Huang, President, The University of the West, at 1409 N. Walnut Grove Avenue, Rosemead, California, 91770, United States of America.

SCANNING TEXTS FROM AK LIBRARY Recently a contract has been signed between

UWEST and Nagarjuna Institute to produce the scanning of Mss.

Fresh manuscripts of more than 200 titles have already scanned by NIEM and recorded in CDROM or DVDs.

NIEM has planned to create special website with new manuscripts scanned recently.

It will be put online for the benefit of researcher and scholars.

COMMITMENT According to agreement NIEM has to provide

200 titles of Sanskrit Buddhist manuscripts scans to UWEST gathering from different local resources and collections within the year 2009.

Fortunately we have finished the scanning of the 200 titles of manuscripts.

Following is the sample copy of the manuscripts

CLASSIFICATION OF MANUSCRIPTSS.No. Subject Number of

TextsOrganization Remarks

1 Sutra 12 Aksesvara Library

2 Shastra 10 Do

3 Stotra 12 Do

4 Caryagita 19 Do

5 Dharani 3 Do

6 Tantra 27 Do

7 Avadana 5 Do

8 Ritual 76 Do

9 Miscellenous

30 do

OUR GOALS As discussed earlier we planned to acquire

more than 1000 manuscripts from different private collections within next two years.

If UWEST or ECAI or some other organization are willing to sponsor these projects , our expectation can be a reality in time.

LIST OF SAMPLE MANUSCRIPTS FROM AKSESVARA LIBRARY-PATAN Vinaya sutra with Newari translation Aryamanjusri namasangiti in Ranjana script Guhyalokottara tantra Guhyasamaja tantra Avadana sataka Mahamegha sutra

VINAYA SUTRA

VINAYA SUTRA COLOPHON

GUHYASAMAJA TANTRA

BEGINNING OF THE TANTRA

END OF THE TEXT

NAMASANGITI IN RANJANA SCRIPT

NAMASANGITI BEGINING AND END

AVADANA SATAKA

BEGINNING AND END

MAHAMEGHA SUTRA

BEGINING

ILLUSTRATED MANUSCRIPTS One of the most interesting part of the

some manuscript is the illustration or painting engraved on it.

In Nepal, one of the earliest manuscript painting dated 1015.C.E is found in Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita.

In the Manuscript preserved in Hiranyavarna Mahavihara there are many illustrations in the manuscript dated 1215 C.E.They are given here for the perusal.

ILLUSTRATED MSS-DATED 1015C.E.

PLATE I

PLATE 2

SOME PICTURES ABOUT THE PROCESS OF SCANNING IN AK LIBRARY

MSS. COLLECTION IN AK LIBRARY

NIEM STAFF SCANNING MSS.

SCANNING MSS

SCANNING MSS.

TIBETAN MSS. IN AK LIBRARY

WEBSITE Our website for these manuscripts will be www.uwest.edu/sanskritcanon

Our mirror website in Nepal www.niem.com.np

CONCLUSION Fresh manuscripts of more than 200 titles have

been scanned and recorded in CDROM or DVDs.

With the permission from sponsors, it will be put online for the benefit of researcher and scholars.

It will be published in DVDs for lower price or affordable price for scholars.

There are more resources which are yet to scan as discussed earlier.

More funding are sought for digitizing of these manuscripts